Hermit Bars

Hermit bars are chewy, molasses cookies that are more like a molasses brownie than a cookie. Load them with spices, nuts, and dried fruits, or keep it simple. Any way you make these hermit bars will become a family favorite. Make this hermit cookie recipe gluten free or with traditional flour– so rich and flavorful!

Martha Stewart’s cookbook, Martha’s American Food, A celebration of our nation’s most treasured dishes, from coast to coast, features this Hermit Bars recipe from the northeast. Their name, hermit bars or cookies, gives little clue to their taste, other than to suggest that if you hide these bars away for a day or two as a hermit might do, you’ll be rewarded with an even deeper melding of flavors in these bars.

Martha Stewart hermit cookies were just the treat that I wanted to recreate in a gluten free version. I’ve baked both– traditional and gluten free– and didn’t miss a thing in the gluten free version. Gluten free flour blend is the key to making the easy switch to gluten free.

What ingredients are in a hermit bar?

The bars’ ingredient list is reminiscent of holiday baking—ginger, cloves and cinnamon—but don’t wait until the holidays to make these. The spices are not overwhelming, rather they come together with the help of molasses and brown sugar along with the usual standbys of butter, flour, baking soda, salt and egg to make an easy afternoon treat.

I chose to make the bars for their hermit quality: cookies & bars that age well are perfect for sending in the mail.

The bars are also ideal to make on a weekend then to enjoy throughout the week in packed lunches. With school starting just around the corner, I am hoping my younger son will find these a special midday dessert.

How do I make gluten free hermit bars?

Combine the dry ingredients of gluten free flour (or traditional flour if you are not making gluten free), baking soda, salt, and any spices you choose. Set aside.

Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in the raisins (or other dried fruits and nuts)

Spread in a prepared 8 by 8 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Next, beat the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Starting with room temperature butter is a good idea.

You are using brown sugar and not granulated sugar so the color will not be as light as you might be used to otherwise, but still the texture will be fluffy.

Add the eggs and add the molasses. Continue to beat on medium speed.

Add in the raisins. Dried cranberries, apricots, or currants would be lovely too.

Pour the batter into a prepared 8 by 8 pan. To prepare the pan, coat it with baking spray then add a sheet of parchment paper. Sometimes it is helpful to create a criss-cross with your parchment paper, such that you’ll be able to lift the baked bars out with ease.

Aluminum foil is a fine option too.

Spray the parchment or foil with baking spray as well.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in 375 degree oven.

You’ll love this chewy hermit bars recipe! You could change this to a hermit bars cookie recipe by dropping tablespoons of dough on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until browned.

Can I make hermit bars like biscotti?

The bars can be baked similarly to biscotti, in a long log of dough which sits on a parchment-lined baking pan. This method, as opposed to pressing the dough into an 8 x 8 baking pan, allows the loaf-like log to spread and rise slightly, then later it’s cut into bars.

Here are photos from the batch of hermit bars I made using the biscotti technique. These are older photos from my original post.

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare an 8 by 8 pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the dry ingredients of gluten free flour (or traditional flour if you are not making gluten free), baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add other spices if you wish.

Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in the raisins (or other dried fruits and nuts)

Spread in a prepared 8 by 8 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Store in an air tight container for up to 7-10 days.

Notes

If you do not require a gluten free recipe, substitute all purpose flour for the gluten free flour.

You may choose to bake these on a baking try similar to biscotti. Form two long logs of dough, flatten the dough, the bake. Slice into 1-2 inch bars when cooled. No need to bake a second time like biscotti.

Thanks, Karen, I agree, it is easy to make tasty desserts when following along with Martha Stewart. I’d love to join her test kitchen staff to learn the process of how a recipe goes from the initial idea to final photo in a cookbook. Hope you had a nice trip!

Gorgeous photos & recipe of course, but what I love about your post is your mention of sending these comforting cookies to your Grandmother! What a beautiful sentiment ( and to know the cookies keep well to boot).